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Depression and its effects on adolescents
Depression and its effects on adolescents
Depression causes suicide among teenagers
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“They’ll check your wrists but not your thighs. They’ll check your smile but not your eyes. They’ll avoid the truth but believe the lies.” Depression affects 8 out of 100 teenagers some resulting in death, self-mutilation, and other severe endings. The signs of teen depression can vary but it 's always important to be vigil and look out for even the subtlest hint of something that seems off, because you could save someone’s life. Teen Depression is a serious mental health problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. It affects how your teenager thinks, feels and behaves. It can cause emotional, functional and physical problems. Although depression can occur during any time in your life, symptoms …show more content…
But it mostly affects the family because they’re around you the most. “Depression is Depressing to be around.” That may sound really selfish and self-centered but in reality when you 're around a loved one that has depressive feelings and thoughts it can cause you to have those feelings and thoughts as well. Wanting to help that loved one and not knowing how can cause one to self-doubt and, in turn, self-hate. When someone is depressed they tend to withdraw into themselves which can cause a strain in a relationship, whether that be a family relationship, friendship, or partnership. Also, depression is a sensitive topic so if a family member tries to get the depressed person to commit to getting help or even just trying to have a conversation with them about it, it can cause rifts and self-doubt. Family members will wonder if it 's something they’ve done, if they could do more, how can they help, …show more content…
Medical professionals are not sure why this happens but it is seen most common in teens. The theory is that it has something to do with the weather. In the fall and winter there are more clouds and less sun, so your mood is less upbeat and perky. When the rain you might not be able to go outside as much which can also make you sad and become depressed. SAD is more common in women than men. Since seasonal affective disorder is connected to sunlight it is less often found in countries that has sun all year
Have you ever felt “down in the dumps”? How about sad or unhappy for long periods of time? Has the thought of suicide ever crossed your mind? Between 35% and 50% of adolescents experience depression at some point in their teenage years. Brent Runyon, author of The Burn Journals, experienced a severe type of depression while in middle school.
People constantly overlook the severity of depression, more importantly, major teen depression, which presents a legitimate obstacle in society. The intensity of teen depression results from society’s general lack of acknowledgement of the rising affair. In 2012, “28.5% of teens were depressed” and 15.8% of teens contemplated the option of suicide (Vidourek 1 par. 1), due to their major depression going unnoticed or untreated for. Even teenagers themselves often ignore their depression or remain in denial because neither them nor anyone else recognizes the signs. “A sudden change in behavior is a main sign of someone being depressed, which could lead to having suicidal thoughts,” stated Pam Farkas, a clinical social worker in California (Aguilar 1 par. 8). The warning signs and risk factors of teen depression include behavioral issues, social withdrawal, and inadequate interest in activities (Adolescents and Clinical Depression 2 par. 3), yet the unawareness of these signs does not allow professional medical attention to intercede. Deaths, illnesses, rejection, relationship issues, and disappointment present passages down the negative path of teen depression, but treatments, such as psychotherapy, intervention programs, and antidepressants express ways to subdue this major problem. Knowledge of the increasing dilemma needs to circulate, in order to promote stable teen lives in the present and future world. Understanding major teen depression, the events and incidents that lead to depression, and how to overcome the problem will lead to a decrease in major teen depression and its growing issue in society.
As reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), depression occurs in over 26% of adolescents and can lead to morbidity, mortality, and social problems that can last into adulthood (SCREENING FOR DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS -- RISKS AND BENEFITS, 2015). Signs of adolescent depression can sometimes be different than adults, and possibly harder to identify. It is most often identified as an increase in negative behaviors or somatic complaints such as an upset stomach (SCREENING FOR DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS -- RISKS AND BENEFITS, 2015). Behavioral changes that are associated with adolescent depression include an increase in irritability, tantrums, anger outbursts, decrease in school performance, and social isolation (SCREENING
“Depression is a mood that goes well beyond temporarily feeling sad or blue” (Duckworth 1). Depression is when one feels out of character, by different kinds of sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, self doubt, and guilt. Usually a person feels more depressed at a time of grievance, like the loss of a loved one, or having a bad day. In most cases simple depression only last for a day in situations of small embarrassment, however if a person is feeling more depressed they will have a huge lack of energy and loss of interest in activities.
Teenage Depression. Everywhere you look these two words appear together as one, in newspapers and magazines, as well as in scholarly reports. Teenage depression is one of today's "hot topics" this among other teenage mental health problems, has been brought to the forefront of public consciousness in recent years after several incidents involving school shootings (CQ 595). The environment that teens grow up in today is less supportive and more demanding than it was twenty years ago. Not only are the numbers of depressed teens rising, but children are also being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. Studies have found that, "There is an estimated 1.5-3 million American children and adolescents who suffer from depression, a condition unrecognized in children until about 20 years ago" (CQR 595). This increase in depression is due to social factors that teenagers have to deal with everyday. A recent study found that, "About five percent of teenagers have major depression at any one time. Depression can be very impairing, not only for the affected teen, but also for his or her family-and too often, if not addressed, depression can lead to substance abuse or more tragic events" (NAMI.org). Gender roles and other societal factors including the pressures on girls to look and act a certain way, the pressures on boys to suppress their emotions and put on a tough front and the pressures on both sexes to do well in school and succeed, all contribute to depression in teens today. Depression is a growing problem which crosses gender lines and one that needs to be dealt with with more than just medication.
It's wintertime, and you are gathered for the holidays with all of your family and friends. Everything seems like it should be perfect, yet you are feeling very distressed, lethargic and disconnected from everything and everyone around you. "Perhaps it is just the winter blues," you tell yourself as you delve into the holiday feast, aiming straight for the sugary fruitcake before collapsing from exhaustion. However, the depression and other symptoms that you feel continue to persist from the beginning of winter until the springtime, for years upon end without ceasing. Although you may be tempted to believe that you, like many millions of other Americans, are afflicted with a case of the winter blues, you are most likely suffering from a more severe form of seasonal depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. This form of depression has been described as a form of a unipolar or bipolar mood disorder which, unlike other forms of depression, follows a strictly seasonal pattern. (5).
Depression is a mood disorder causing a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. The cause of depression is not always chemical imbalances. It is a more complex disorder, where individuals do not understand the disease have to consider depression could be from a medical condition, trauma, life circumstances, and genetic vulnerability.
School can also be affected in many ways when teens have depression. It can make it harder to concentrate, cause them to have poor attendance, and increase the trouble they cause with the school faculty (Butler). Another effect of depression is anxiety. Depression oftentimes leads to anxiety, but anxiety is more common to occur in a child on its own, without depression. Anxiety is, for the most part, normal when the body knows there is danger. This can become an issue when it evolves into such a problem that the person suffering cannot function because they are too scared to do anything (Steingard). Not only are depression and anxiety bad enough, but there are side effects of both disorders that can also affect the teenager. These side effects can include low energy, poor concentration, and withdrawal, and these cause issues with academic and social function (Steingard). Because there are so many effects of depression, treatment is extremely
Depression is defined as "a state of despondency marked by feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness" (Coon, 2001). Some people can mix up depression with just having the blues because of a couple of bad days or even weeks. It is already said that depression affects about one sixth of the population or more (Doris, Ebmeier, Shajahan, 1999). Depression can happen in any age range from birth to death. The cause of depression is still obscure and becoming clear that a number of diverse factors are likely to be implicated, both genetic and environmental. Some causes are leading stressful lives, genetic factors, a previous depressive episode, and the personality trait neuroticism (Doris, et al., 1999).
This could result in students with more suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide. In fact, the number of students with suicidal thoughts has tripled over the past 13 years as the number of students seeking help for depression doubled in the same span (Lindsey 2009). Depression can affect these teens in other areas of their life as well. The students who reported that they were depressed also reported that they considered their health fair or poor (Lindsey 2009). In their cases, depression not only affects them psychologically but also physically.
Some of these are broken romances, family tension, problems at school, and other pressures. All though most of the time it is more than just one of these causes. There are many signs to look out for in a teen that will/may commit suicide. Child and adolescent psychiatrists recommend that if one or more of these signs occurs, parents need to talk to their child about their concerns and seek professional help when the concerns persist.
It may even come abruptly, happening in just a few weeks or days. Nervous breakdowns are commonly associated with depression and are often identified due to the confusion and fear that depression brings. Depression heavily influences emotions and one’s outlook on life and more than often ends up changing a person’s life in a major way. People experiencing depression often feel sad every day and cry very often, making that too another daily routine. Even when participating in activities that used to bring joy, people begin to lose interest and begin secluding themselves from people and things they love. Depression still exists in the teen population and recently has begun increasing in numbers. Reports of depression in teenagers have shown different signs from those of adults. Physical complaints are very common in the younger crowd, including stomachaches and headaches. It also leads to or is in correlation with eating disorders or abnormality, social withdrawal, and of course, depressed mood. They may feel unenthusiastic about school and other activities. Their sleeping patterns become irregular and unhealthy, they may sleep more, but still feel an extreme lack of energy or enthusiasm. Elderly people with depression usually complain of physical rather than emotional
Empfield, M., Bakalar, N. (2001). Understanding Teenage Depression: A Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment and Management, Holt Paperbacks, New York.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression can be defined as a state of mental instability which affects the human body, mood, thought pattern, and relationship with others. Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health shows that about eleven percent of teenagers have depressive disorder by age eighteen. (National Institute of Mental Health). Teenage depression is one of the issues confronting teenagers in today’s society. Depression can occur at every age in the human life, but it is more common in teenagers.
Depression affects everyone. According to Psychology Information Online, women are more at risk for depression. This is due to factors that are directly related to women such as reproductive, hormonal, genetic or other biological factors; abuse and oppression; interpersonal factors; and certain psychological and personality characteristics. In general, it has been found that people who have low self-esteem, who consistently view themselves and the world with pessimism, or who are readily overwhelmed by stress are more prone to depression. Psychologists often describe social learning factors as being significant in the development of depression, as well as other psychological problems. A serious loss, chronic illness, relationship problems, work stress, family crisis, financial setback, or any unwelc...